Sea to Summit Sleeping Pads

Sea to Summit sleeping pads are built in a variety of shapes and sizes, from ultralight and ultra-compact backpacking to deluxe camping pads. Their best representatives are presented here.

This brand is best known for its sleeping pads. If you are a backpacker, then you know that their pads are hard to match when it comes to the weight and packed size. You can see several of them in my list of best compact sleeping pads for backpacking. But they build also standard camping pads where the stress is on comfort.

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My selection of the best Sea to Summit sleeping pads

The pads in the list below are ordered by their weight from heavier to lighter. As you may know, this brand builds sleeping pads in multiple sizes, so I take the regular or medium size as their representatives.

 

You have some insulated and some uninsulated pads here. Also, some of them are inflatable air pads, and some are self-inflating with foam inside.

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1. Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe SI Sleeping Pad

In this sleeping pad the accent is on comfort. So this is a thick self-inflating pad, you have 4 inches (10 cm) of foam with air trapped inside. They use here their Delta Core technology that reduces weight and packed volume, and it also accelerates self-inflation.

This technology includes long transverse channels with lots of air inside, and the result is that when it is cold, the pad may become less firm when compared to its competitors.

The R-value is 6.5 and this should be enough for practically any weather conditions. They use the new ASTM R-Value standard so the insulation and rating should be reliable.

The fabric is with a knitted 30D stretch polyester upper face for a comfortable night sleep. The base is a stronger 75D polyester with extrusion laminated TPU. It is worth mentioning that the sides are quite vertical and more importantly they are firm, this means they do not collapse easily when you move on the pad close to the edge.

The pad has their Pillow Lock feature, and a multi-functional valve. The weight of the regular pad is 4 lb 6 oz (1995 g), and its packed size is (L x D) 25.2 x 6.65 inches (64 x 16.9 cm). So you realize this is a camping pad, not designed to be carried on the trail. Please see more in this video:

What I like:

• Great for any weather.
• Comfort.
• Pillow lock.
• Great carry bag design.

What I dislike:

• The regular size is not particularly wide.

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2. Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Sleeping Pad

They build this Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Sleeping Pad in 6 different sizes and shapes. So you have separate pads for men and women, and they are also in separate shapes that include trimmed, rectangular, and oval. There are also different sizes for both genders. With so many options you can avoid carrying unnecessary weight.

Perhaps you know, there are tents that are with a trimmed floor profile, so you might want to go for such a trimmed pad shape. Here you have such options.

The weight is always essential when you have to carry a pad in the pack, so regular (R) rectangular pad for men weighs 24 oz (680 g), and its packed size is (L x D) 9 x 5 inches (23 x 13 cm).

The pad is 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick, and this is a self-inflating pad with a foam inside. They have applied a hybrid construction and this means the following. i) A high cell resolution dual-layer construction is in the torso region of the pad. ii) A medium-resolution single-layer construction is in the head and leg regions. This sheds the weight under the legs and head, where less insulation is needed.

In addition to this, you have the Air-Sprung Cells system. This means that the air cells react independently, and bouncing is reduced. They have added a reflective layer bonded to the underside of the top layer of the pad so this reflects heat back to the body. The effective R-value is 4.2. The shell is a 40D ripstop nylon.

Please see more here:

What I like:

• Incredibly packable.
• Unique inner construction.
• Variety of sizes and shapes.

What I dislike:

• The price.

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3. Sea to Summit Ultralight SI Sleeping Pad

The letters SI in the name here mean self-inflating. So this is an insulated pad which they build in 4 different sizes XS, S, R, L. The R size weighs only 1 lb 3 oz (550 g), so indeed it deserves to be called ultralight for such a type.

The packed size is (L x D) 11 x 5 inches (28 x 13 cm) and it can be described as very compact as well. When inflated, this is a bed that measures 72 x 20 inches (183 x 51 cm). Note that it is not very thick, you have 1 inch (2.5 cm). The L size measures 78 x 25 inches (198 x 64 cm).

But the pad has an R-value of 2.6 so this is good for 2-2.5 seasons. This is based on the new ASTM R-Value test standard.

The construction is with a body mapping design and their Delta Core V technology. This implies vertical cut-outs in the open-cell foam, and they are not random, there is more foam and support where it is necessary. They claim that this reduces the weight for up to 20%.

It comes with their silicone grip patches embossed on the mat, and you have them in the head area to keep a pillow in place and also in the middle for the sleeping bag. The fabric is a 30D woven polyester.

Please see more in the video:

What I like:

• Very light.
• Compact.
• Insulated.

What I dislike:

• A bit narrow.

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4. Sea to Summit UltraLight Mat

The word ‘ultralight’ in the name is well-deserved because this sleeping pad weighs only 395 g (13.9 oz) for its R size. Note that there are three sizes in total.

Equally impressive is its packed size shown in the picture below. The dimensions are (L x D) 17 x 7.5 cm (6.5 x 3 inches). This means it is only 0.75 liters of volume, simply incredible. 

The pad has a medium resolution Air Sprung Cells that results in the lightest and smallest packed-volume mat without compromising comfort. They use the same technology in several of their sleeping pads of this brand. As you realize from the picture, there are no classic baffles. It is constructed using a dot-weld pattern to create a high surface area matrix of interconnected chambers.

These Air Sprung Cells operate independently and the mattress conforms to your body shape. This is what makes the pad very flexible yet stable.

The fabric is 40D ripstop nylon. The R-value is 0.7 only, so clearly the pad is for warm weather only. The size of the R version is 183 x 55 cm (72 x 21.5 inches) and this is very good in view of its other parameters. More details you can see in this video:

What I like:

• Ridiculously compact.
• Extremely light.
• Very comfortable.

What I dislike:

• For warm weather only.

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5. Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Mat

As you realize from its position here in the list, this pad is also ultralight and ultra-packable. Its regular version weighs only 0.86 lb (390 g) and its packed size is (L x D) 8.3 x 3.9 inches (21 x 10 cm). This means that its packed volume is only 1.65 liters. It is included in my list of best compact sleeping pads for backpacking. They have it built in 3 sizes in total.

The pad is in group of inflatable pads, and its stuff sack doubles as its pump sack. Note that it is for warm weather only, its R-value is 0.8. They also claim that an anti-microbial treatment is added to the TPU formula to prevent internal mold growth.

From the picture you realize that this is an interesting construction. It includes baffles with dot welds and numerous interconnecting chambers (Air-Sprung Cells). The top and bottom welds are connected inside, and this results in a 4 inches (10.2 cm) thick bed. So the pad is thick enough for any type of sleeper.

The shell is a moderate fabric, 30D and 40D nylon with liquid extruded lamination, this makes it durable and quiet. There is one multi-function, high flow rate, and low profile valve. It is with a small button inside for fine-tuning. The R size measures 72 x 21.6 inches (183 x 55 cm).

More you can see in this video, please have a look:

What I like:

• Stability and support.
• The weight.
• The packed size.

What I dislike:

• The price.

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Final thoughts

So this was my selection of the best Sea to Summit sleeping pads. You have seen its parameters, some of them are among the most compact and the lightest on the market. They are with a variety of R-values, and even some of the ultralight in the list offer an insulation that can be used in all seasons.

Editor’s Choice

The Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Sleeping Pad (the second in the list) is with a best combination of the R-value and weight, so it is most versatile. This is why I put it forward here. It is light enough for the trail, and you will be insulated no matter where you use it.

For more stuff for the trail, please check under the category Trail Gear. Thank you for reading, let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below.